Virtual Cards

What is this page about: How virtual cards work in Light, including how to create an expense card, request a vendor card, view card details, set spending limits, and freeze or close a card.

On this page

• What is a virtual card?
• Types of virtual cards
• Getting around the Cards page
• Using your card for a purchase
• Creating an expense card
• Requesting a vendor card
• Viewing your card details
• Spending limits
• Freezing or closing a card
• Troubleshooting
• Related articles

# What is a virtual card?

A virtual card is a real, working card number that Light generates for you inside the app, with no physical plastic involved. You use it exactly like any card number online: type it into a checkout or subscription page and pay.

The point of a virtual card is safety and control. Because it's separate from your primary card, an online purchase or a recurring subscription only ever sees the virtual number. If a virtual card number is compromised, you can freeze or close it in seconds and your other cards keep working. And every virtual card carries its own spending limit, so a card can only ever spend what you've allowed.

# Types of virtual cards

Light has two, and picking the right one takes about ten seconds:

Which one do I need? If you're buying things for yourself, create an expense card. If you're setting up recurring payments to one supplier, such as a SaaS subscription or a recurring service, request a vendor card for it.

(On the admin side, an expense card is sometimes called an "employee card". They are the same thing.)

# Getting around the Cards page

Open the Cards page in Light. It has up to three tabs:

• Transactions: every card transaction, with date, merchant, amount, card, and receipt status. Use the To Do / All toggle to filter down to transactions that still need a receipt or a note.
• Cards: your issued cards, and where you create new ones.
• Accounts: appears only if your company has given you access to it.

The + Request vendor card button sits in the page header, so you can reach it from any tab.

# Using your card for a purchase

Once you have a card, paying with it is quick:

1. Go to Cards → Cards and click your card.
2. If you're the card owner, click to reveal the full card number, expiration date, and CVV.
3. Copy those details into the checkout or subscription page you're paying on.
4. The charge processes as long as it's within the card's spending limit.

Treat a revealed card number like any other payment card number: use it only for the purchase you're making, and keep it to yourself.

# Creating an expense card

Each employee can hold one expense card. The create option appears only while you have none.

1. Go to Cards → Cards.
2. Click Create expense card. This option only shows if you don't already have an expense card.
3. Confirm your details: Owner (pre-filled with your name) and Authentication phone number, used to verify card actions.
4. Click Confirm.

Light generates the card instantly and it's ready to use straight away.

# Requesting a vendor card

If your company has a published card approval workflow, vendor cards go through your approver before Light issues them. Without one, the vendor card is created as soon as you submit the request.

1. Click + Request vendor card in the page header, from either the Transactions or Cards tab.

2. Fill in the request:

   • Owner: your name, pre-filled.
   • Authentication phone number: used to verify card actions.
   • Vendor: choose from the dropdown, or click Quick-add vendor to add a new one.
   • Card description: a label for the card, for example "AWS Monthly."
   • Account: the account this card's spending posts to.
   • Limits: an interval of per transaction, weekly, or monthly, plus an amount.
   • Message to approver: optional context on why you need the card.

3. Click Request card.

If a workflow is published, Light sends the request to your approver and creates the card once approved. If not, Light creates the card straight away.

# Viewing your card details

1. Go to Cards → Cards.
2. Click the card you want to view.
3. If you're the card owner, click to reveal the full card number, expiration date, and CVV. If you're not the owner, Light shows "Only visible to the card owner" instead, so the number stays restricted to the person it belongs to.
4. Copy the details you need for your purchase.

Treat a revealed card number like any other payment card number, and keep it to the purchase you're making.

# Spending limits

Every virtual card has a spending limit set to one of three intervals: per transaction, weekly, or monthly. Vendor card limits are set at request time. A transaction that goes over the limit for that period is declined automatically.

If you need your limit raised, ask a teammate with permission to edit card limits, typically an admin or controller, the person at your company who manages finance settings in Light.

# Freezing or closing a card

From Cards → Cards you can freeze or close any card you own.

• Freeze blocks new charges immediately without affecting the card itself. Unfreeze it any time to resume using it.
• Close is permanent. Light shows a confirmation before cancelling the card, and once closed, no future charge can process on that card number again.

# Troubleshooting

• A transaction was declined. Check the card's spending limit and interval on the Cards tab. A transaction over the limit for that period is declined automatically.
• I can't see a card's number. Only the card owner can reveal the full number, expiration date, and CVV. If you're not the owner, ask them to share the details directly, or request your own card if you need one.
• I don't see "Create expense card." You already have one. Light allows one expense card per employee. Use your existing card, or ask your admin about a vendor card if you need a separate card for a specific purpose.

# Related articles

• Your Light Card
• Apple Pay and Google Pay
• Card Spending Limits and Policies

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